


Stand by Your Side

by GalaxyKitty



Category: Borderlands (Video Games)
Genre: Cute, Fl4k here to save the day, Other, Zane is a dork, Zane with metal legs from knee down, carry the boyo, good ol fluff, that is my truth now, they are both good mechanics who help each other out, time to join the tiny ship!!, y'all i swear i saw a video somewhere that really looked like robot legs
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-04
Updated: 2020-08-04
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:09:12
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,136
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25693333
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/GalaxyKitty/pseuds/GalaxyKitty
Summary: The story where Zane has metal prosthetics from the knee down, one of them gets damaged, and Fl4k is there to help.And also lots of cute happens.
Relationships: FL4K/Zane Flynt
Comments: 8
Kudos: 75





	Stand by Your Side

**Author's Note:**

> All aboard the tiny ship train!! Choo choo!!
> 
> For boo, as we've both been putting together ideas on what these two lovable dorks would be doing together

“Ah, shite.”

Zane muttered under his breath as he and the other vault hunters arrived back at Sanctuary III after their most recent skirmish down on Pandora. He caught the attention of the others, Amara raising an eyebrow at him while Moze frowned, but he shook his head.

“It’s nothin’.” He said, straightening up to take a step forward as he wobbled for a moment.

“Are you alright?” Moze spoke up, the other hunters watching him with concern. Zane quickly brushed it off, smiling as he waved his hand.

“I just got banged up a little. Nothin’ a drink and a night passed out on my bed can’t fix.” He answered with a grin.

Moze appeared to accept his answer, letting out a soft sigh before walking away to her own room, and Zane quickly turned to do the same, hobbling over to his room while trying to appear as normal as possible. As soon as he stepped into the familiar quarters, he closed the door behind him and let out a heavy breath, shoulders slumping down. He walked over to his bed in quick strides, sitting down on the edge with a sigh of relief, and finally leaned down to unhook the metal above-knee prosthetic from his left leg, grabbing a tool he had lying by his bed.

The metal clicked as it came loose, and the operative placed the detached prosthetic on the bed next to him as he turned his attention to what remained of his leg. He rolled up his pants, seeing the skin starting to turn red, and frowned at himself.

It was always strange for him to see himself without the metal attachments. He always had them on, sleeping with them, showering with them since they were water proof, something he was thankful for especially after trekking through the murky swamps of Eden 6. He didn’t like the idea of having them off around others either, not liking the feeling of being weak without them, unable to move.

He sighed, shaking the thoughts out of his mind as he picked up the prosthetic once more, bringing it closer to his face to inspect as he turned it over in his hands. Something had happened to it during their last fight on Pandora, Zane noticing immediately as it locked up and went stiff as a board. He could hardly bend his leg to move after that, cursing under his breath as he ducked under cover to stay back at the end of their mission.

As he peered at the prosthetic, he finally noticed a dent one of the metal plates, curved like a bullet had managed to lodge itself past the protective coverings to reach the more delicate components inside. Zane then frowned at it, a puff of air leaving his lips.

“Lucky shot.” He muttered to whatever bandit had managed to make the shot, who was no-doubt dead now.

Lifting his head, he looked to his desk in his room, seeing the rest of his tools out that he had been using for his SNTNL drone. With a determined huff, he pushed himself back up onto his foot, leaning against the wall with his left hand while his right held his prosthetic. He didn’t have any type of crutch here; it wasn’t something he carried with him, so he had to manage on his own. He made his way along the wall, getting closer to the desk until he was close enough to reach it without falling. He made a triumphant sound as he grabbed onto the edge of the table, setting the prosthetic down before finding the chair to sit.

He focused his light down on the leg and got to work removing the protective plating, hands steady and he worked slowly. He hasn’t really worked on his prosthetics much in his life, as usually they were never damaged enough to need repair. The outside was guarded with durable metal coverings, protecting the more sensitive mechanics on the inside that allowed it to move and absorb the shock of each step. That and usually his enemies aimed for his head, which is about the farthest they could look from his feet (unless they missed him completely, which was always a plus).

As the front plate popped off, Zane moved it to the side to get a good look at the inner workings of the prosthetic, and that’s when he found the troublemaker. There was a bullet lodged in towards the right side, snuggly situated between one of the smaller metal rods and a supportive bar that helped hold his weight. It was stuck, preventing the joint from moving, and keeping his leg stiff.

“There ye are, little bastard.” Zane muttered, picking up the tweezers to try to dislodge the bullet. It looked like the bullet damaged the rod as well, the metal slightly bent out of place, which would mean it wouldn’t function properly once the bullet was removed anyway. He would have to remove it altogether, then find a replacement for it, then make sure it fits correctly and functions like it’s supposed to, and the thought made Zane frown.

Once he got a hold on the bullet, he carefully tried to pull it out, not wanting to damage anything further, but the bullet stayed in place. He frowned more, adding a little more force to it, but still nothing. He cursed under his breath, grabbing the bullet from a different angle, and tugged on it again without any progress.

“C’mon, just pull like a band aid, just get it done.” He murmured to himself, but was still reluctant to add much more force. He didn’t want to accidentally hit something, causing more problems.

He didn’t like messing with the prosthetics more than he needed to, it was something he worried about from time to time. The two he had were the only two he owned, and if he breaks one of them, then he won’t have a leg anymore, and he won’t be able to find a replacement like one could for a gun around here. It was hard as hell to find good parts for prosthetics, let alone ones that fit, and that was just for single parts alone rather than an entirely new leg. He doesn’t like thinking of it, knowing he would most likely end up with a leg that wasn’t the right size, giving him too different looking ones that would put him off center. And with his line of work, he needs one that can function in all environments, through all weather and terrain, that can let him run, stop, slide, and jump from any height at a moment’s notice when he’s moving in the middle of a fight.

He used the tool to grab onto the bullet once more, taking in a deep breath, and gave a strong tug backwards. The bullet came loose and his arm flew back in the air as the bullet fell onto the table next to him. He yelped at the sudden movement, but calmed down once he saw that nothing else happened, and set the tweezers down to inspect the mechanics now that the bullet had been removed. He poked the rod, trying to get it to move like it would when he walked, but the bent metal didn’t follow the motion.

“Ah, hell.” Zane huffed, narrowing his eye at the metal, and he poked it again.

“It appears that is making you stressed out and upset.”

Zane jolted upwards when he heard the other’s voice, turning his head to see Fl4k standing between his desk and the door. He must have been so focused on the leg that he didn’t hear the door open. The taller being stood there, arms crossed, and their eye seemed to be looking inquisitively at the prosthetic on the table.

While Fl4k wasn’t wrong, per say, Zane didn’t want to admit that they were right either. Although they were right.

Fl4k took a step closer, standing next to the table now, and Zane felt himself get self-conscious about his left leg without the attachment for a second, but quickly pushed the thought aside. Fl4k was a friend. They wouldn’t judge him for it.

“It’s a right bother.” Zane decided to say, glancing back at the table. “But nothin’ you need to fret about. I’ll be fine.”

Fl4k stayed silent, leaning down a bit to inspect the prosthetic, and Zane caught himself tapping his fingers together as something to do as he waited quietly for the other to finish looking for whatever it was they were looking for. He guessed Fl4k would simply be on their way after that, leaving Zane to himself once more, but was instead surprised when the other straightened up and turned to him.

“Would you mind if I brought this to my room?”

Zane’s eye widened, blinking at the other, and his eyebrows furrowed together in thought. He didn’t want to be apart from his prosthetic, because then he really would be unable to walk. At least if he had it, even if it didn’t work properly, he could use it as a peg leg. A very uncomfortable peg leg that hurt to walk on, but a peg leg none the less.

“I’d like to stay with it myself.” Zane answered with a hum. “But I can’t exactly walk over there in the state I’m in right now.”

Fl4k seemed to consider it for a moment, Zane hearing them make a soft sound in thought, then they spoke up once more.

“Pick up the prosthetic.” They said.

Zane pursed his lips, but did as he was told and picked up the leg along with the covering he had removed earlier. Before he could realize what the other was planning to do, though, Fl4k had stepped forward next to his chair, one arm bracing his back, and the other reaching down to hook under his right leg, picking him up in one swift motion.

Zane almost flailed his arms up as he was suddenly lifted into the air, clutching the prosthetic to his chest as the other readjusted their grip to hold him.

“Beastie-!” Zane said, feeling his face start to get flustered. “You can’t just go around picking people up!”

Fl4k seemed to frown with their eye, which Zane always found it strange but intriguing that the other was able to show expressions without exactly having the face for it.

“Should I set you down?”

Zane opened his mouth, but paused for a moment, turning his head as he willed his blush to go down.

“I suppose this’ll work, not a bad idea actually.” As he calmed down from it, he felt his usual smile return as he leaned his head against Fl4k’s shoulder. “Does this mean you’ll be like my own ride? A chauffeur? Whenever I need ya I can just run into your arms?” He said, his grin growing, and he felt as the other’s shoulders moved, imitating a sigh.

“Try to do that in the middle of combat and I will drop you.” They replied dully.

Zane only raised his eyebrows at that, chuckling.

“So does that mean outside of combat I can?”

Fl4k only shook their head at that, turning to leave Zane’s room and walk over to their own room. Zane continued to smile during the short distance there, keeping the thought in mind to try later. It was… nice.

The door opened to FL4k’s room and Zane turned his head to see the other’s pets resting in their beds. The spiderant lifted her head in curiosity, standing up then to walk over to the two of them, but besides that, they stayed quiet, the other two looking like they were ready to go to sleep after their return from the mission. Fl4k walked over to the desk then, Zane expecting the other to set him down on the chair, but was surprised once more as the other instead placed him at the corner of the table.

Zane scooted back, making sure he wouldn’t fall as he leaned on his hand, and set the prosthetic down in the middle of the table next to him.

Fl4k took the seat, their own tools resting beside them as Zane guessed they probably had their own mechanics to work on from time to time, and picked up one of them as they went back to inspecting the prosthetic. Zane watched for a few moments, noting how Fl4k was examining all the different pieces of the prosthetic before doing anything just yet, and he hummed.

“Have you ever seen somethin’ like this before?” He asked, and Fl4k paused.

“No.”

The operative tensed up slightly at that, feeling his worry return. His leg was a very critical part of his life, very much so, and although he wasn’t a master of prosthetic building, he was at least familiar with his own leg enough to know the basics for its repair. However, before he could think too much about it, Fl4k spoke up once more.

“But I understand its importance. You do not need to worry.”

They turned to him for a moment, gaze meeting his before their attention returned to the leg, but Zane could tell the other was trying to reassure him. It… strangely did make him feel better, the tension in his shoulders leaving. He was sitting right next to his leg as well, so he could watch and make sure nothing bad happened by mistake.

Fl4k had their small desk lamp angled downwards, illuminating the prosthetic, and after their examination was done, they started to work. They were careful, their hands moving slowly as to not bump any of the other mechanics, but their movements were precise as they adjusted the small components, loosened what held the rod in place, and unhooked it from the joint. With the bent metal in hand, they stood up and walked over to one of their shelves, shuffling through a few different pieces of metal that clinked together. Zane watched as they compared each piece to the old rod, finding one that would be able to replace it, and he smiled when the other returned with a similar piece.

“It’s always good to have a collection of parts with variety.” They said, sitting back down at the table, and Zane huffed out a soft laugh.

“Not gonna argue with ya there.”

If anyone on the ship had a spare mechanical piece he would need, Fl4k would be the one.

“This should only take a moment.” Fl4k added as they started to fit the spare piece in place.

Zane continued to watch in silence, impressed with the other’s knowledge as they readjusted the piece, connecting the joint and lowering it a bit to fit without the chance of the new piece falling loose. With everything now in place, Fl4k picked up the metal covering to finally put it back on. They did hold it in their hand for a moment, finger brushing over the small dent that was left over from the bullet, but replaced it back onto the prosthetic.

“It might take a few days, but I believe I can get a replacement for the cover as well.”

Zane sat up at that, lips parting in surprise.

“Oh, you don’t need to do that for me. Besides, it’s just the outside coverin’, it doesn’t need to be pretty.”

“Pretty, no.” Fl4k said, lifting the now-completed prosthetic in their hand. “But functional, yes. And if a bullet managed to get in without the bullet-shaped dent there, then another one can certainly do it now.”

“Ah.” Zane said, knowing the other was right.

“But for now, this should work.” Fl4k continued, then handed the leg to the operative, motioning for the man to try it on.

Zane waited for the rush of self-consciousness to return, as it usually happened whenever attention was brought back to what was left of his leg on his person, but it never came. Looking at Fl4k, he couldn’t sense any type of judgement from the other either, their form still calm and relaxed as usual when they hung out together.

With a nod, Zane turned on the table to set the prosthetic in place in front of him, connecting everything back up once more as it clicked together. After everything was set, he turned to slide his legs over the edge of the desk, hopping down with a soft thud. Fl4k watched him as he took a few experimental steps, bending his knees and leaning side to side. He couldn’t help but smile when everything felt normal again, and he started to spin, warm laughter leaving his lips.

“Ye did it, beastie!” He said, stopping once he faced Fl4k, his arms outstretched in a pose. “A real life saver, you are.”

“It was nothing.” The other responded, turning their head, and Zane could’ve sworn there would be a blush on their face if they could do so.

“Aw, c’mere.” The operative smiled, leaving his arms out as he stepped over to the other. “Give ol’ Zane a hug.”

Fl4k turned to him, but before they could give an answer, the operative wrapped his arms around them, face pressing against their chest. They were hesitant at first, but eventually they lifted their arms as well, patting the other man’s back, and Zane chuckled against them.

Zane did step back eventually, even though he was reluctant to do so, and he gave the other a softer appreciative look.

“Thank you, though, I mean it.”

The other nodded, turning back to clean up their desk and turn off the small lamp, but spoke up as they were setting their tools to the side.

“If you ever need any other help with it in the future, I am always here.”

Zane smiled widely at that, putting a hand playfully over his heart as he jokingly swooned, and he saw as Fl4k shook their head at him, but they appeared to find it amusing regardless.

“Same goes to you.” The operative added afterwards, though. “I’m no stranger to fixing things up. If ya ever need a hand, I’ll be glad to help.” He raised his left arm as he said so, showing off one of his SNTNL drones he still had on him as an example.

“I will keep that in mind.” Fl4k responded, eye curving upwards in what Zane compared to a small smile.

As he went to leave, Zane playfully bumped Fl4k’s shoulder as he passed, returning then to his own room. He walked over to his own bed, sitting down on it to relax as he leaned back against one of the adjacent walls, and he propped his legs up.

A warm smile graced his lips as he gently swayed his legs side to side.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!! I hope you enjoyed!!
> 
> However, since this is a tiny ship, any kudos/comments would be super helpful and appreciated so I can tell that there are others here ;u;
> 
> Also I utilized the good ol' artistic license here when writing about the prosthetics 'cause I'm sure not a mechanics expert!!
> 
> We goT FANART BOIS!! [Link Here](https://twitter.com/TwinPeachCo/status/1301002340728598535?s)


End file.
